Clothesline-supporting trolley



Oct. 21 1924 R. H. TOML IN SON CLOTHESLINE SUPPCSRTING TROLLEY Filed Sent. 21.. 1923 gwuntoz" @UBERT H. TDMLINSUN Patented (let. 21, 1924,

UNIT-E STATES RUPERT H. TOMLINSON, OF ILION, HEVJ' YORK.

CLOTHESLINE-SUPPOBTENG TRGLLEY.

Application filed September 21, 1923. Serial No. 66 L121.

T 0 all whom it may 007166171.

Be it known that l, RUPERT H. TOMLIN- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at llion, in the county of Herkimer and State of ,New York, have invented a n w and useful Clothcsline-Supporting Trolley, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is a support for shiftable clothes lines or the like of the end less type, which will prevent the lower or clothes supporting strand or reach thereof from sagging, and will evenly distribute the weight suspended from the line on the upper or lower reaches thereof.

The main object the invention is the production of a very simple and economical construction of support of this character which, when properly applied, will not become loose or fall from the line, and which insures perfect operation of the device at all times irrespective of weather conditions.

Other objects and features: of the invention will appear as the specification pro- .ceeds and will be definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is disclosed in the form in which it is considered to be the best, but the invention is not limited to such form because it is capable of being embodied in other forms; and it is to be understood that in and by the claims following the description herein it is intended to cover the in- ..vention in whatever form it may embody within the scope thereof.

In the drawings which show the preferred embodiment of the device as at present devised,

Figure l is a diagramniatical illustration of the invention as applied,

Fig. 2 is a face view of the support taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a side view of the support.

Referring particularly to the drawings, in which like characters denote similar and like parts in the several views thereof, and referred to in this specification, the support consists of a strand of wire A having a substantially straight portion 1, and has its end portions 2 and 3 bent upon itself and toward each other to form an elongated open loop, the body portion 1 forming one side wall of the loop, and the ends 2 and 3 the other side wall. The extremities of the end portions 2 and 3 overlap at a medial point in the length of the support, and are slightly spaced apart, clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, to form a restricted entrance X to receive the strands of the clothes line, the extremity a of the end portion 2 lying inside of the extremity o of the end portion 3. T he wire strand A is of relatively flexible material so that the extremities a and Z; may be flexed under pressure as illustratedfto permit the entrance of the clothes lines. The portion l between the end portion 2 and the body portion 1, and forming the upper wall of the device, is substantially straight and forms an axis upon which is rotatably mounted a trolley wheel 5, having a suitable opening 6 therein to receive the portion The end portion 2 of the strand cooperates with the opposite and corresponding portion of the body 1 to provide what is termed a trolley pu The width between the end portion 2 and the corresgondir. portion oi the wall 1 is slighly in excess of the diameter of the usual clothes line rope or cable, so as to provide a passage of re stricted width to retain the cable and wheel in proper relation at all times, and to prevent jumping or slipping of the cable or wheel from engagement and binding between the wheel and the side walls of the support.

The end portion 3 is bent abruptly at its juncture with the side wall 1, and with the "sa e opposite corresponding portion of the side wall 1 forms a wedge shaped passage D in which the lower strand E of the clothes line i is received, and tightly binds therein, the said corresponding portion of the side wall 1 and the end portion 3 diverging; relative to each other from their juncture, at f, to form the V-shaped wedge slot D.

It will be further observed that the side wall 1 of the support is oil'set inwardly at its medial. point at g, to bring the apex of the wedge slot in direct vertical alinement with the radial axis of the trolley wheel 5, so that the weight taken up by the support will be evenly balanced on the Wheel 5, and eliminate the tendency of the upper strand C of the line from slipping from engagement with the wheel 5, the wheel 5 being of course suitably grooved.

It will be further observed that the inner extremity a of the end portion 2 extends inwardly toward the side wall 1 to provide a restricted entrance of less diameter than the clothes line, thereby retaining at all times the upper strand of the line in the trolley passage 7), and to prevent the lower or supporting strand or reach of the line from moving into the trolley passage. As before stated, however, the extremities a and b of the end sections can be deliberately flexed to permit the insertion or removal of the upper and lower reaches of the line in their respective passages, as may be desired.

After the support of this invention has been applied to the line, in the manner illustrated and described a pull on either reach of the line C or E will cause the line tomove over its supporting pulleys H and I, which may be suitably mounted in the manner commonly in practice, and the supports will be moved in the direction of the pull by reason of the lower strand of the line being tightly gripped in the wedge slot 1) and the trolley wheel 5 riding over the 7 upper strand of the line. As many of these supports may be used as may be found desirable or necessary to eliminate sagging in the line, and to distribute the weight on the lower or supporting strand or reach of the line .to the upper strand or reach.

WVhen the line is not being used it is not necessary to remove the supportsentirely from the line, but only necessary to remove the lower strand or reach from the Wedge slot. Therefore it will be seen that as the clothes are being brought in the supports will collect at one end of the line, as illustrated in dotted line, Fig. 1, and can be brought again into use by simply inserting the lower strand or reach of the line into the wedge slot D, and properly spacing the supports relatively to each other.

The strand E of the line by its own weight and the weight which it supports, will bind itself to the wedge slot, as will be readily understood.

The above described clothes line support is a very simple and economical device which can be used with greater facility and convenience-than present known devices.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A clothes line supporting trolley comprising a strand'of wire having its end portions bent upon itself and toward each other, forming an elongated loop; the extremitiesvof said end portions overlapping and being spaced apart, forming a restricted entrance to the loop; one end of said portions and the opposite portion of the loop, forming a line retaining passage, and the extremity of said end portion being extended into said loop to form an open restricted entrance to said passage; the other end portionof the strand cooperating with the opposite portion of the loop and providing a Wedge slot therebe't-ween in which the lower reach of 'the line is received and binds.

2. A clothes line supporting trolley comprising a. strand of wire having i't's end portions bent towardeach other to form' an elongated loop, a trolley wheeljourna'led at the juncture of one of said end portions to the body of "the strand by having said strand extending through a Centmiopenin therein, the other end portion converging toward its juncture with the body of the strand to form a wedge slot at the'other end of the loop, the extremities of said'end .p'ortions overlapping and being spaced apart forming a restricted entrance to within the 3. A clothesline supporting trolley as set forth in claim "2 furtherrchara cte rized by the extremity of the end portion adjacent the trolley wheel, being extended inwardly and toward the body of the "strand, to form a restricted entrance opening dividing the wedge slot from "the trolley wheelen'd of the loop, whereby the portions of the line e'ngaging the trolley wheel and in "said slot are retained intheir respective positions in the loop. 7

In testimony whereof I have h'e'reli'nto set my hand. 7 vRUPERT H. TOMLINSO'N. 

